an old old foe: part 1
by Minaj-a-twah
Summary: upodated the cover n stuff i havefnt figutred out how loaw azeris and perseverins stirylines are gonna go exacrkly bu i do fugiee that i must put a battle woth aviis and perseverin in and a cirdon and aranidae attle in as well as deix replay versys aranidae, plus not that abnydis gone i have to try someting else, with perseverin apeaering to be skain versus ontonycterys m sff il f


**_the following is an interim from the looming war ontonycterys as prime leader threatens the last dregs of good night furys and other allies sworn unitence against her war. but what of the untold discovering journeys of her sub leaders perseverin and aranidae? what of their notoriety? can they be stopped by only one dragon setting off to stop them? what shall the nest do without aided support? with obuekhov and abydos on opposite sides of the continent theres bound to be straining dire disaster waiting. loaw azeros and loaw dagny are out to enact the good protectors plan their own devious ways under the direction of ontonycterys little knowing her contempt of their fates. _****_these are their stories part 1._**

Centurpeade was just lying down to relax when a flash of lightning shattered the silence, revealing the silhouette of a dark, bat winged figure Framed at the cave entrance. the furys in the cave with him jumped, grumbled, scooted silently further toward the back, far away from the booming and crashing noises as possible. probably natures way of getting even, telling them it didnt like them. hey lets throw lightning and loud sounds to send the ear frills a-rattling. thing was they were already cramped in the back, now tighter still, making all the furys even more grumpy and the ones sleeping-but-not-sleeping less so. centurpeade diligently lay awake, eyes on the entrance for furys now arriving out of the shelter of winds. more then once after the recent rain and storm happened, more then one soppy disgruntled monsters nightmare poked its pointy snout in here, took one look at the mostly black blob of night furys and decided the rain and thunder want such a bad thing after all.

no one knew of centurpeades kind arrived. until now. the audible sound of water droplets flying drew centurpeades ear plates swiveling. centurpeade rose to pad toward few dropping black figure and stopped, another flash of lightning illuminated the eerie smile etched crookedly not-exactly-welcoming furys jaws. he jumped and whined unexpectedly at te massive thunderclap that rattled his insides. "ah so nice to get out of the rain. so nice. hello, dragons. i see ive met a nice company of dragons just like myself. intelligent beings are few and far between." centurpeade worked his confidence back up from somewhere in his paws. something want right. he opened his jaws to speak., when the arriving fury did it for him. "no need to finish. i understand. yore confused. and distrustful. weary. but arnt we all a little tired? get some rest. ill watch for new arrivals. i like meditating."

the fury gave centurpeades clueless snout one a smile. "judging from your expression ill say youre clueless as i expected you be. dont worry, ill keep watch for other of oiur kind. i kn ow what your going thorough. i promise no harm well get to you or the furyesses full with kit i see in the rear. go get some rest." centurpeade stood there giving the other a long last glance, settling on the hot pink jewelry clipped tightly on thew mysterious fury. he retreated muttering something like "how come _he_ remembers everything and not us?" the fury first part of the mission was a susses. hed walked right in like hed belonged none the wiser about his intentions truly, readily accepting his lie any smart furyd not fall for, as he knew it would. now the second task: one that seal the fate of all these furys into believing bodies of servitude to the brilliant one.

the jewelry adorned follower stepped outside the cave entrance and spread his beetle blue metallic wings. the coming lighting flash tearing the curtain of oppressive grey clouds apart nor its noisy companion made no difference on haides loaw annwn. time to summon the others. one follower might be able to sway them, loaw annwn thought it practical to gather more. the _logical_ thing to do. from the aid of one dragon. "my leader. loaw veen. ive found them. a clutch of unbelievers sequestered sway from natures wrath. heh: even they are afraid of it,. but those of us that believe know better. i wait your instruction to proceed." ontonycterys was there almost instantly in his mind. " _a pleasing outcome. move forward with the plan of converting more to the masters cause. are there any intelligent ones that may complicate things?_ " came her thought speak.

loaw annwns calculative gaze roved over the assembled unaware of his motives. "not that i saw." " _good. then wipe out the ones unwilling to bow down and follow us. they shouldn't put much of a fight. you know what to do. well done, my child."_ the follower almost asked the question of a solo job. " _yes alone: i know your capabilities even if you do not, achieve your potential haides. impress me. its what the god protector would want."_ came his leaders words. communicating via the moons mind link was a new skill second leader perseverin, now rogue and ram pent according to loaw veen, tought them. he settled back into the cave another omnibus rumble drawing out the thoughts of anything. haides snout turned to the others again. "yes, let us proceed. lets not keep your destinies behind any longer. the master is waiting for you."

* * *

the sub leader back, admiring her creation. not hers basically of course. but as soon as shed seen the want to be free coupled with its clear dislike of flesh and bloods, assured perseverin this adolescent skrill was hers. a little lighting rod to serve as a follower. she still was resentful over losing her last one, a tad more of a rebel under the god protectors influence then this one, but still a creature over the humbling power of electricity. how had she been so struck dumb with the wrong mission? loaw perna? in charge? shameful. if only shed taken it with her in her personal revenge scheme at Nona melding in her affairs instead of the lousy group of night furys. thank goodness her reign hadnt lasted that long: her opinion and mission were not aligned with loaw dagnys. lightning crackled across the young skrills wings. "yeh! that feels so indefinably better to be free! now night fury...how shall i deal with this scaled toned triter?" it asked, turning those soul-sucking eyes on the albino dragoness.

"why need punish this creature? it doesnt seem to have the manacles of the poison of the yoke of the flesh and blood oppressive." the sub leader sensed rising doubt of something she couldn't have. she deftly flicked her paw at the skrill, both as a gesture to get on with it and its gaze to rest on the marring on them, just as she new it would. "see thee scares? all these are the marks of dragons affiliated with the marks of the flesh and bloods scourge. they marr. they punish. if you dont stamp them out at the source they are allowed to thrive and spread like a virus, dominating the land to consume all." perseverin tossed her head indicating her surroundings "these. i failed once to bring about the end of therm; unforeseen _displeasures_ make their existence known, Nona becoming leader, for me to complete it. with your **help** " she carefully choose the word, making a face, having learned her lesson last time.

unwise to get on a skrills bad side "well rid the land of them. dragons have gotten a bit softhearted and mushy in their wee hearts for the plight of the pink maggots, saving them whenever the likes of us show up. i dont feel any sentimentality. i have a grudge against them as a whole, one curly haired one in particular, i have whats failed to crush in my rage." perseverin waited for lightning and electrical doom of all manner to rain down on her annoying foe, and waited...and waited. she barred an irritated snarl at the young skrills back, having stomped past. "well?" it half turned. "it doesnt seem all that menacing. its just a dragon. are you sure youre telling me the whole truth?" count on skrills to be smart.

"and truthfully, i haven't fully developed my powers." loaw dagny stopped just short of attacking her ally-in-the-making shoving past remembering she wasnt her old self anymore, she could control her rage, not be controlled. recalling who her real opponent was. aviis chuckled softly. "heh. still so needy. you may have aged but that certainly hasnt made you smarter. only too willing to fall back on the old ways, grabbing other scaly forms to do your dark dirty bidding instead of having the killer guts to do it yourself." loaw dagny leaped. "ontonycterys may have tought _you_ but youre only as intelligent as the instructor who gave them. you wernt borne with the knowledge. you dont know me that well _."_ aviis kicked out and just missed perseverins throat. "i know you fairly well, huntress. your perceptions of what you think i dont know about you are deeper then i expected. sad really. i hoped for more."

"preore to be disappointed, follower." the sub leader bolted at aviis from the side avoiding the defensive wing jerk that could be deceivingly painful and aimed for the followers claws. he slammed her hard, princely in the right angle and speed to seen her tumbling back into the adolescent skrill, who let out an involuntary electric shock at contact. "eeeeeekkk you idiot!" the sound of loaw dagnys scream was music to aviis ear frills, surely to bring the two leggeds out searching Right here. better to kill her quick and report back to his leader. in a powered thrust of his wings he was on the young skrills back scraping talonfuls of scales out of the neck of his neck. hopped off anticipating the retaliatory shock to get him and resumed dealing damage elsewhere, avoiding the wings. "its so enjoyable watching you work" said a voice far away. aviis ear frills found the source: loaw dagny perseverins wings wide blocking the only entrance to the humans structure. his lapse in ficus landed a hard blow from the young skrills ridged wing, whacking him off, stunned.

"but as i said you dont know me all that well. not by a long wing. only what veen sees of me, what i _want_ her to see. i have secrets that kept me leader of the followers a good long time that she doesnt even know about. let her guess. you thought you could come in here, playing tag with the most ruthless merciless dragoness you could find. you made the wrong choice. i play. i play for keeps. i play to _win_. with this skrill freed and soon to understand our ways, killing off an upstart of our own shall cement its loyalty once again, firming my position as leader once more. permanently." aviis was trapped. he did not intend on leaving. "one dragon more or less does not suddenly make you all powerful, perseverin. that is a flaw. besides it isnt loyal to you just yet, not if i have anything to say about it." "then say nothing. just end" she didnt advance. but the young skrill did, wings aloft, eccentricity subliminally crackling the Length of his body, jaw curled condescendingly.

aviis flung himself in a blur at perseverin who grabbed the smaller built follower by the scruff of his neck and flung him at the skrill "fetch, boy" catching his wings, unleashing its glorious lightning sizzling the length. aviis howl of pain, screaming for its end, pleased loaw dagny. she advanced, knowing her enemy trapped for the time being, greatly unexpectedly annoying as itd been in skill combat, fully going to exploit. it didnt matter **how** experienced her enenyd imbued knowledge of her, knotting wasnt everything in a battle. just brutality. ruthlessness. the will to do what must be done. time to teach loaw veens little puppet playmate a lesson. do not mess with perseverin. she gestured with her head down to her paws, white light lighting up her snout as she approached. bloodshed eluded her one day too many. "dyin' is easy. its the livin;' thats hard."

* * *

denix appraised her enemy getting to know his inns and outs more personally as a foe. "well i finished off youre little pet. shes gone and theres no returning. I freed her and thers nothing you can do to get your follower back. Those dreams are as far away as your diluted head thinks its wedged itself into. vipre….just give up already were going to stop you eventually. Maybe not me today….maybe not my dragons i may casually call friends…but someone." "and whose that going to be exactly, when the land is at my feet? both leaders dead. The nuisance of the nightmares corrected. The deadly nadders shown the error of their ways. And the night furys, those grand efficient striking beasts of miraculous wonder" smiled loaw azeros with all his teeth, his manner unhurried, dignified, grandly as he flapped closer "are once again safely under my control. _All of them._ of who will you turn to, loaw snarna? Hmm? Will there be any night furys let for you to seek? Some brave soul hiding from my master or me perhaps? Once i become the one true leader? Where could you locate such a dragon?"

the words came out punctuated to prove his point like he wished for her to test dismal failure before he wrought her in it. The worst part about it was aranidae seemed so careless, offclaw about the whole prospect. He appeared the only dragon out of the three leaders who might actually complete tat plan hed tossed clues at her to fetch. He possessed the necessary gall to carry out out. Dragons, objects, as hed mentioned in the presence of nest ruler sabrinathemorpher, were merely pawns in the bigger scale of things. Being blinded to the god protector once again turned vipre into a master plotter that had ti be broken the link immediately. Denix was right to go after the plotter even if she didnt survive the ordeal in the long wing. The voice power he was no better, made dragons believe anything he said falling victim to hod poiwer. What of he sliped on and made all dragons obey him? Or worse? By the attitude loaw azeros expressed as one of the leaders threatening peace, if he wanted to, he could slowly one dragon at a time surely seduce all dragons into his own personal followers and no one would be able to stop him once they fell long enough the sound of him talking.

And no dragond even know what they walked into. She narrowed her eyes "but theres just one little problem wasn't there in that grandiose plan? Wasnt there? Thres two other leaders out there that dont like you that much not to mention us. You dont like to share. So that leaves two others standing in your way to power and domination the underhanded way. " hed start small, just as he once had, sutable so she wouldn't notice it and work up in increments from there. Not be as blindly obvious as last time. If she was interested enough to ask questions around who was he to deny her the sound of his voice sprinkled in rising sections? "i underestimate your prowess. you are annoying to some like my failed excuse of a follower deathbringer alterious. But i do give you credit for holding onto the moments you want to. Yes two little problems stand in my way for ultimate pacification of his land and its inhabitants. perseverin is murderous and rash in her plans. why she failed before nona became snoddussen and she too failed, both their reigns lasting shorter then mine." "and whaddya know? You got replaced. Its a never ending happy family tree of losers. The moon up there cannot seem to retain anyone who can stay in power long can it?" shot back denix .

loaw azeros circled his quarry looking for he first sign of succeptabolity in her defenses to his power. "yes when i found out that _thing,_ ontonycterys brought me back from the brink of mindless stupidity she claimed she was in charge. I see what she thinks she has the capacity or talents for…but those are not the true qualities of a long lasting leader. and it must be one of us. It has to be night fury, for only they have the capacity and poise needed for purity. perseverin and loaw veen are not the type of dragons for it. I dont know if youre really stupid like them but one just wants a little power and the other a lot of respect. The moon has already granted them it. But my plans go far wider, to cleanse this land the way it must be done." The way his eyes glinted the his mannored conveyed all his desires and longing to make that happen…repulsed denix. "its not much longer before my plans get enacted. Its not to late for you. That offer never does for smart dragons to repent and seek or ways. t could be your chance to change the land for the better. My glorious shared future with my god protector is on the horizon. But i would prefer it not without you."

Denix replay felt a strange feeling steeling over her. Sentiment for the mission to feel part of a larger something working to for something that felt….right? a bit if sympathy crept into her voice. "you make the offer sound so easy. just cross the line and everything all right." aranidae nodded "it is. Take that step, loaw snarna. Join me. Reclaim the glory and might you once felt being a part of something larger then yourself. Fight for what you believe in. We can be mean but we can also be gracious to those that deserve it. Im offering you that opportunity again to be whole. You loved that bloodlust once. I can reunite you with the moon to feel it all over. One of many gifts my master bestowed on the worthy." Something showed on denixs face thatd broken through a few months ago when he converted her, longing for not being shunned. Exactly how silverwingthefury felt, if a tad more violent about it, but the same feeling nonetheless. Discontention. The seed for converting to their cause. This time aranidae was there to speak reason into the distracting dragoness instead of the moon directly. He could convey their offer to him more thoroughly. Just what his master wanted him to do. Then denix shook herself back to reason.

There wasnt time for hovering around for a midday chat with the probably the moons most deadly weapon at play. Wordlessly she shot plasmablasts at aranidae hoping to knock him from the sky. Loaw azeros smoothly evaded every shot. "come now, loaw snarna is that the way we show our enthusiasm? after we were getting off to such a smashing start?" he uttered, flashing her his disarming charming smile. she lit his snout up in flames, aranidae cursing his good nature somewhere in the resulting steam. She darted in swiping her back claws randomly through the haze, connecting with nothing solid. No shriek of pain. The next moment something cracked sharply into her undertummy, earning her the yells instead. His weaponous tail. "you know, loaw snarna that feels **so** good to do that. Im not emotionless like that monstrous nightmare was. Its fighting techniques were adequate to my needs but unlike her i wont kill you for sport. I can allow you to live." his tail dug into her twice again denix gasping from the penetrating spikes. The chuckle came again, toying with her even while applying the use of his power, his voice ominous and deeper.

"hmhmh, loaw snarna you are such an interesting creature. But either way i will make you one of us today, perhaps in a little more damaged and sad condition then before, or i will make you pledge i am the one true leader in front of me before i cut you to pieces. You choose." she ducked quickly as she heard the telltale swish of his tal slicing through the air. "youre all games vipre. But you dont act fast enough before we step in and stop you, so your words mean nothing. Keep talking. obuekhov and abydos and copperwing are smarter then you give them credit for." The steam finally vanished to reveal a smiling loaw azeros as per the usual. When wasnt he doing that? "the world is mine for the rearranging, loaw snarna. You can join it or fall fighting for a lost cause. Choose the _right_ choice, my former friend. Be _reasonable_ about this…it doesnt have to end the way you think it does. We can even get that nightmare dragon to rejoin us provided i have time to do so. I noticed your allies have among you the fool who thwarted a plan or two some time ago: loaw nezere. The flying ignorant target. If you come to be reasonable i can grant you the privage to kill him. How does that sound? you may deny it all you want, but i saw the greed in your eyes when fighting him. You couldn't stop."

Denix avoided a violent swing of his tail, popped her teeth out of her gums and bit down firmly on a non spiky part. Loaw azeros first hiss of pain. "you're that interested in knowing what i think about eh? Let me dish you a talonful: i think it has holes as deep as the ones you have in your shallowhearted soul, vipre. I think you contain as much reason as a pile of metal teeth. I think you has the ego the size of the sky. That head has gotten so big it cant fit through cave entrances even if a big dragon tried shoving. You think youre some grand dragon that thinks he owns the land in his grasp, giving merry speeches along his way to a deluded conquest. My gosh, vipre…how much further can you get from the truth?" her last part wasnt sarcastic in the slightest, truly appalled at how evil hed fallen so quickly. "and what 'bout deathbringer? Is he still a part of your band hiding out somewhere?" loaw azeros shot a fireball as denix shot her own cancelling each other out. "was. Now he seems to find himself cozily tiding up his moronic ego by the fire, likening to the orders of former followers as your nest ruler. Have you missed all the fun, loaw snarna? Have you been kept in the dark from your own tribe to not know? I was there. eliminating monstrous nightmares like annoying wasps i saw him fighting for your side. He deserves to be brought to me so i may….do things to him so he regrets ever turning on my younger nieever self. its what he deserves"

"and i say why not shut your jaws already?" she growled rushing aranidae. Her talons locked with his struggling upright in the air. she could feel his hind legs scrabbling for vermilion in the crook of her yellow stomach. "surrender vipre. just stop this" she attempted. This close to his devilishly dashing snout she felt nauseated just seeing how infected hed become with the moons energies inside him. She saw he was about to speak again, hurriedly moved one frontal paw to shove his black chin up to the sky. That left her vulnerable to aranidaes hind legs shoving her forcefully hard in the undertummy. The blow came unexpectedly. she coughed pitching toward the ground before reorienting horizontally with hard wing-flaps. "they say that loaw shar was the best Arial combatant there ever was. Or as you ignoramuses call her: nightflight. But i disagree. There are some others better at it then i and she. Ones i must take care of." Denix spat out her words annoyed. "yah yah yah. Whatever. Are in that great of a hurry to leave me? I thought you were here to 'welcome me back to the great infinity of empty addle headed brainlessness? Or did you forget you were attempting such? Common you must admit trying _so hard_ to think up nonsense only to see me still resisting must be so _tiring_."

loaw azeros expression tightened slightly. "i will not be baited by the likes of you." He fired at her. what she didnt realize as she easily donged the fireball was the fact aranidae himself powered along behind his projectile, his tail ready to deal damage to denixs eyes." Youve clearly make your choise on whose side you want to fall with. Be my guest, dragoness. Rest eternally in the ether." "you wouldn't dare convert me again." "oh believe me i would. everything leading up to this moments been rehearsal. the real performance is about to begin. im counting on it" From that point on out he spoke no more, putting focus on ending her life. That battled fully escalated to the death.

* * *

denix-replay jumped aside as the purple alkaline fireball slammed into the lush grass where shed been standing setting a little fire in the process. her next evasion wasnt quite quick enough to prevent three more from impacting her right between the middle of her back. "im done playing our little games of catch the dragon. its gone on quite long enough."denix glared up at the sub leader, quite a bit smaller then her. "really? i was under the impression it was pretty short top begin with." she snapped back, baiting. aranidae kept a straight fave impassive. "ive escaped my share. so have you, somehow. but one question is left before i get your annoyance out of the way." said the snakes voice probing her defenses one lat time "whats it for? what is the point? what will you accomplish on killing me? or freeing me? because if thats your intent then somehow, someway, the god protector will find me. find ways to bond with me again."

"if its through another incompetent leader it thinks needs its blessing ill hastily get rid of it and take over. no one deserves that position better then i. youte wasting your time. and if its killing me, i thought your soppy emotional kind didnt believe in that, to the point of stupidity. when death is the only escape from your opponent who will stop at nothing to do the same. why do you fight so hard? or for? is there really a point anymore? a position on a hunting trip? higher up the ladder of copperwings pity party, so he may give you a hug when things get too frighting for you? my minds been working on that for quite some time, and i have my guesses. but id thought id hear it from you, loaw snarna." denix found a rotting piece of driftwood nearby, picked it up and hurled ot at loaw azeros next fireball. by the time splinters cleared and aranidae was readying his fire, the dragonessd tossed another from the ground. on the fourth wood piece the sub leader held his projectile letting it sail harmlessly below his height, understanding her strategy. "if you want to come hear me give you an earfrillfull youll have to do it down here. on my ground. my turf." aranidae smiled.

"nah. i cam keep firing at you until you have nothing left to defend yourself against and you give up." "youll run out of shots sooner or later" she retorted from the ground. "and i have already thought of that. im wiling to take the risk. i-" "oh a _risk_ _taker_ : i thought its all about complex mind games with you. i guess i was expecting more. yah thats right. bla bla bla talk talk talk. keeeep on talking, vipre. but no matter what, you cant be everywhere at once. so youll always be a dragon who cant get his grand plans accomplished. this worlds just too big for him top conquer alone, i guess. whew. i thought id never hear the end it it. he has to rely deeply on the j\help of others to do it for him. he isnt capable of breathing _and_ doing at the same time. shame." loaw azeros shifted hos grip on the dark mirror to avoid dropping it, unexpectedly filed with rage. she **had** tapped his ego. no one did that to him. no one living anyway. he could feel his bloodlust boiling, paws curling but he did not care. he **could** do it alone.

his grand design would not be thwarted. least of all by a former follower hed had a difficult time wrangling to the brilliant one. he had a past with this one, there was no denying that, the multitude of times hed clashed with her over the months in his younger years especially. he had so many benevolent plans for the land, plans greater then either snobbish arrogant leaders could comprehend. his plan was the _correct_ one. the _justified_ one. hed dare perseverin or ontonycterys to come up with better. or hoe to carry out out in a successful manner. how dare loaw snarna question his methods. what did she know? nothing! a misguided fury on misguided mission with the help of misguided friends. no he wasnt surprised that shed bested his monsters nightmare pet. not at all surprised. its just the sort of thing shed boneheadedly do rather then succumb to a firy ball of flames, leaving aranidae free to go about his righteous business unhindered.

a little tampering here, both blundering leaders out of hos way with a little aranidae twist on things, and the night furys his. if sleuthrd done one thing right, it was handing him the obsidian rock before it was too late for his hopes for a full follower in the making. loaw snarna here now was proof the nightmared failed to bring about the end of her. pity. nest furys of korins should- _would_ experience, with the dark mirrors help. and denix-replay would learn to like it too. he opened his jaws and poured on the fore once more, unlike most where rage would cloud their thinking, aimed accurately. each one found their mark as denixs body spaswmed from the blasts. "stop making me mad" ha chided, in control of himself again, though his heart raced at that close call of breathing his facade.

"doesnt end well for the well being of my opposition. i dont like to be uncontrolled. its unhealthy." when the smoke cleared denix shivered uncontrollably at the impact of the constant attack then locked eyes with loaw azeros. gaze one of heated steadfastness he hadnt seen, all silliness until now. "im not going anywhere. i can stand here all day." her hard seriousness about this battle impressed the sub leader. dark mirror in one claw. her other personnel revenge facing him surely to go down in her sad little patriotic blaze of glory defending a lose cause. what more could hr hope for accept for the artful downfall of ontonycterys? the rest of the so called 'opposition' to him were haze and fog: all planned out. "im aranidae" her replied simply, planning his next move "my ambition knows no bounds."

* * *

he swung around lavishly around in the air ever one for subtle elegance. "two of you now? one tracking me through the land making sure i dont do things my old foolish self might've committed to from the nest ruler and the other sent by the boss to keep an eye on me? how absolutely _thrilling_ that im that wanted and loved." he shook his head mock sadly. "sadly for the breeder of darkness meant to teach me what she believes is a misguided brand of doing things, your time wont last long, follower. did she...teach you how to fight me? did she warn you what id do if i found out about your sneaking and spying? did she tell you what was coming?" cordon the female breeder of darkness stiffened her wing beats measuring aranidaes body with a critical eye. it strayed toward his tail. loaw azeros in turn studied the follower: did she know how he fought?

"i was sent to stop you from doing anything particularly stupid and intrusive on her ultimate goals, yes. finding that you have, i will put my second plan into place." aranidae merely felt a chuckle slip out hos jaws, enjoying her gullible emotional front. "witch is? amuse me, dragoness." "to put you down like the treasonous leader you never could be. forging secretive alliances with the nadders wasn't on my leaders agenda. i was glad this other stopped you from doing so. though my leader has plans for her, too." the sub leaders highly smug snout switched from denix replay to cordon and back, claws twitching for a fight. "interesting. has loaw veen felt so insecure as to send a errand-dragon after my murderous counterpart perseverin as well?" "youll find out!" roared cordon hurling herself at aranidae who hovered there gaze on denix replay unsure of this turn of events. "she sent a child to attack me. first spying then bold frontal assaults. what are leaders resorting to these days? pettiness? dangerous foolishness. thisll only take a moment; feel free to watch this dragonesses humiliating defeat. perhaps ill even allow her to live, if shes as good as i hope this battlell be, to run back to her master with a message, tail between her legs. but dont feel left out, loaw snarna. i haven't forgotten you or what you did to my expensive pet. nor have i forgotten our dashing intimate past. i _will_ deal with you" he finished ominously, bringing his spiked tail around to whiplash it at cordon "just not yet."

she swerved right, aranidae cracked his tail that direction, only for her to tuck and roll suddenly, mid-roll firing off a succession of alkaline fireballs to prevent aranidaes automatic follow up offensive advancement. he turned sideways allowing them to impact his wings on purpose. cordon was already in his talonsrange, using her own to nick a raon of scales off his wings. "clever" praised loaw azeros, swinging his tail around for another strike "but not clever enough i think." "she taught me well enough" came the sardonic response. he expected her to repeat the rolling dodging evasion-offensive, but he was wrong. she flared back, letting the deadly weapon flail harmlessly out of range. aranidae didn't pursue, impressed. "why are we fighting anyway? wouldn't your usefulness be better expended having a little chat with our observant friend taking no action against me? perhaps shes impressed by our battle and want to do more then sit and watch?" he gestured to denix replay hovering uncertainly nearby. "dont count on it, twinkle toes" she responded bristling.

"relax im not here for you now that that fake excuse of a leader wants to remove me from the picture with her own kind. i made the first move; shes simply retaliating with what tools she has at her disposal." an expression of annoyance of a different kind on cordon made loaw azeros nod at something. "shes _desperate..._ on a level i suspected...shes _worried_ of me. touchy of what i might do. and i will break her belief. if you appease me enough ill even let you keep your scales another rainy day, telling your false leader the grand news my day has arrived." "you will learn humility and your place in this purification of all things unbelieving. im not angry. just determined to do that." she was smart: instead of muzzlelong charging him she stayed out of range of him being able to use hos weaponous tail. arnidae learned her, if she adapted to his methods then perhaps it was time to use a different dragons strategy of combat entirely.

He dove toward the ground ignoring denix-replays incredulous weary onlooking. his gaze challenging his opponent to meet him on equal ground. She took the bait, ending up with a snoutful of alkaline night fury fire. "a funny thing happens when you remove dragons of the safety of its wings. At first it becomes disinterested." cordon snarled and advanced across the ground, aranidae keeping up a few casual fireballs to hinder her progress, the follower nimbly evading them by hopping to and fro. Loaw azeros allowed her to reach him then rather then using his tail on indict to inflict damage by way of his tail he swiped with is talons forcing her finally onto the defensive. "and aggressive." she backed up a few pawsteps launching into the air gain to gain the high ground, aranidae did not follow. Something flashed in his fellow believers eyes: doubt. Loaw veen may have thought her everything she knew of her subordinate but not steadfast faith in beating one of their own. "then finally the wounded creature accepts its fate. it loses interest in killing its adversaries. And becomes more concerned with its own pain. Or at the very least, it becomes someones very amusing spectacle to watch."

"no ones listening to your boring rhetoric, vipre. Give it up. It bores me the hundredth time monotoned. Do you have like an off switch or something? youre worth a lot more to our side mute." He waited out cordons next move, his words addressed to denixs comment. "all in good time, loaw snarna. All in good time. Your ignorant grasp at my complex nature is audacious at best. This follower has a very important job to do for me, one its false leader should see coming." Folding his wings back, loaw azeros waited for cordon to commit any number of predictable moves, what he wasnt ready for was denix-replay nearly reaching him from behind before he detected it, pivoting to strike with his tail. He applied the use of his powers immediately while she was close, distracted with fighting. "oh you poor thing. Has watching me fight called you in to play? Just coudnt resist? Unfortunately we are not playing dragonethood games here. Only war."

Cordon fired from above, aranidae replying with his own. Denix slipped in from behind and was checked by the sub leaders waiting tail. "i _can_ fight two opponents at once." "im going to free you just like did to the nightmare under your control." aranidae smiled craftily. "keep thinking that." Denix circled him. codon landed again doing the same. Loaw azeros padded toward her, drawing denix unknowingly in, in a flash he turned with a roar leaping onto the upper half of denix tipping her crashing flailing to her side. Cordon saved denix the impending fate of aranidaes first fatal strike with his raised tail. She bounded so fast the sub leader didnt have the time to retaliate, cordon yanked at a long spike and with a supreme effort of will snapped it off. He whined and scrambled off. Vermilion leeched from the wound. She hung back, denix-replay rolling upright. "are we on the same team here?" she inquired the follower hopefully. "dont be silly" cordon sniffed firing her plasma behind the free furys body bringing a sharp cracking sound.

A medium sided tree crashed down on her back pinning denix there momentarily. "im not on your side." she turned then, just as the sub leaders tail lashed into cordons snout. The dragoness screamed vermilion spurting from one side of her nasal passages. "you break something of mine ill break yours" his voice came, paranoid. "do tell me thats got to feel humiliating, squashed to the ground like that. Let me help you. I can do more. I know you dont want to listen i can make your mind see truth once again." He resumed, working on her will. Denixs reply sent him padding toward her satisfied. "i _would_ like that. To be free under this tree. Thats very kind of you." He stopped sensing something wasnt right with her tone. "so i can drag you by the back talon toward copperwings nest to crash your addle headed dummy snout against the rock to maker you see your mistakes. Or drop a rock on you instead. thats how badly i wanna. Some dragons back home might not like that opinion but ots mine. Stop this insane ambition as the moons pet cactus and come back to us vipre. Come home."

He paused as he made contact with denix worming furiously to roll the treetrunk off her wings. When next he spoke none of hods ability was in his voice, appraising the state of his old enemy. His expression looked almost genuinely sad, as if given up on her. "thats a pity. I had higher hopes for you. We danced many dances, loaw snarna. Both as enemies and partners to the cause. ill have to leave you under that tree a little longer, then. dont worry though; rest assured, loaw snarna, ill reclaim Sabrinas nadders as my own and all of those night furys. _my_ night furys. tis a shame you wont accept the inevitable of my master all this time. i wouldve thought youd learned a thing or two from your first encounter. im disappointed." Then he was upon cordons reeling form, dealing damage. By the the time he judged his foe to be in the state he wished to leave her in, one frontal paw bleeding badly, both back legs twisted probably broken, snout covered in lacerations but wings mostly unscathed so she could tell ontonycterys the 'good news' like a good loyal whiny dragnet, denix-replay was gone.

* * *

dragon jumped out of the way disgruntled as water flew everywhere, making him one very wet night fury. cursig the intrusion he spat water out his nostrils and jaws enough to ask who at this time of his dismal day would do that to him? a swath of fire breathed hos way, having to insensitively jump back to avoid singing, was his answer. dragon glared ruefully up at the monstrous nightmare that hed had as hard time recognizing hed kept an eye on before when they started rampaging for no good reason apparently. perhaps they still under that behavior? "hey! mind not blowtorchig flames at me? im trying to drink here! youd think that shooting flame at me a poor soul whose been shot at from his own kind was long enough already." despite not knowing what a blowtorch was. the nightmare withheld its fire, analyzing. "zyou different. not za one my creator azkz i quench itz fire. za other triez to hide in za water. but ill drown if it doez not faze me. it cannot ztay down there forever."

dragon seemed not to recognize he faced the same nightmare, working together to obtain the dark mirror, under aranidaes something did make him halt, partly at the tone of the dragoness and partially this _other_ feeling he couldn't explain intervened, leaving denix replay alone up in the skies, upon where she hurled herself. "fine npo help then. thanks alot, night fury. thanks alot." said the unnamed orange dotted yellow stomached furyess quite ruefully engaging alone with the nightmare. thisd was denix hadnt gotten a good look, not that she would be bothered to, at the night fury to determine three important memorable things: he ws larger then the average species. former breeder of darkness to the night sky and that his mind recentlyd been freed at the volcanic scape with his leader ontonycterys crossed him for possession of the dark mirror and rook it. sleuther only to happily reached for denixs scowling snout, intending to charr it a pleasant blackened color, the sounds iof the dragonesses impending screams fir mercy a joy to behold. aranidae wanted no loose ends from her.

denox avoided the reeacghingg red wings, sweced to the side unsure of how she planned getting her assailant to back off. like, 'all the way out of her sight' off. sleuthir lit her log tail on fire and made contact with denix, who hissed in pain, flapping a ways lower toward the water...and that hapless fury...just in case. "go for a zwin. ill wait. your life zi zwill take" the nightmare shrugged. denix replied with a fireball. sleuther swatted it back. "stop getting me wet" grouched the fury beloe as it splashed into the lake. well maybe if it got off its clueless behind and **helped** it wouldn't feel the need to whine, whine, wehine. at least district her foe with flames. shhot projectiles or something the red creature could play toss with. sleuthir hovered. waiting. it disliked the lake. her weakness. if she could menovour the nihgh,maste towarr the lake shed have a chance to box it in. **marginally**. denix shot the other fury a look.

that sharp smugesque look on the red adversary's pointed snout made denixd halt for a moment, thinking. she remembered all the times she wore that look, acted orincelky like that, evenm now. recalled the times other furys now a once free near un-constasntl;y threatened nest gossiped about her, how denix strutted riht by not caring what she thought of it. how it didnt bother her the sluigrst. how thingsd changed. shes noticed more, ever sience she saved the nest from natural causes f a flower particularly poisonous to night furys, proving mighty though thdy maybe (another story finding the dragon flower) tiny shifts by nbature could himble them. that and ythe obvious represent threat of the god protectors servants searching at all turns to turn them to its soul sucking brainwashing will. combined denix thought thastys helped her mnasture far. sleuthirs expression was like looking back at a reflection of her in the past, as the follower loaw snarna Mamore or not. no longer. denix replay summed up the good memory's of herself, determined to defeat this puppet follower of loaw azeros. whom was her real goal. and hed placed her finding him by escaping like the crepy snake he was. up she pumped her wings, fresh with renewed energy.

"wipe that smug smile off whasteer you havem creature. i cant be assure thjays a snout. it rather looks like anm arrow ointing fiery read burning death at me." skeuthir lit her string ,uscular bodyu on fire. "he zaid play zwith her. i knew zshe waz comingz fir me." breathiog a plume if sticvky fire ast her. the fury dfidfged mosdt but not all of the nihtmares blast, stinging like bees upon contact at her wingtips. she hissed, fighting the impulse to draw them in. sdhe talked tyo the ipponemty sje tried basrghaniong she tried everything to breat whst she thiught was a converted dragon to no avail. finely she flung herself at sdkeuthiors burning scales. "okay the water yuo go." however the nihtmare was fdefgiant when sje wanted to be, blowing denox back with a good whiplashing action of her wings. denix cgarged again. skeutirs wind gurlked her way. she gritted her teeh preplexed how tio get close. "common denixl pal, youre a gerown up. or at least partially grown up. yuo can do this." help (andf dfustrsction) came in the firm of drain whosd quenched his thirst and wits with ontonycterys scuffle in her cave.

"hey um not to imtude but why are we battling? cant we just shake talons and fly our separate ways? its not like theirs a lone bear youre fighting over or something. "the former directer looked down and finally got s god look art the other furty from earlier. him! that one helped her search for the object her partner arnifae asked sdhe seek. she didnt see denix slamming into her from the side until it was too late, screeching art the inflamed nightmares kerosene ciasted scales. sleuther herself cursed her lapse of focus just as with an ugly (or beutryful splash depending on who you asked" the nightmare made her landing in the lape dousing her fires instantly. dragon tried, he tried so _hard_ tio avoid it, but droplets came there enmasse. "what did i say about drenching?" he called as denix dove quickly into the lake after her to subdue her. she fought bask her naturall disgusted of water using her wings as paddles and back legs as flippers, her tail as rudder to locate the darker thrashing shape of the nightmare, bubbles stirring tellingly around her. aggressive and firy on land. weak and helpless in water. they liked it where it was hot. a volcano pdehsps. _noti the boittem of a lake._ denix kept her jaws closed to keep water out and rammed sleuther forcefully.

under water the blow lacked a piledriover source bit it did have the effect of sending her sailing end over end through the liquid. the furyu was able to pn the foe against the side of the lake underwater. sleuthoir was getting her bearings finding wich way was up. powering herself towards it. aching to be unwet and igniting herself dry the moment sde could, back to full, if mentally abused, force. down here with the experience of being dunked before denic replsyd the advantage. in desperate she rammed the nightmare again from below. skeutghoirs horns and snout broke the surface. the dragoness grabned the long red tail streaming behind it and yanked bsck hard. dowm here momentum wasnt abrupt amnd jerky. skleuthir plunged underwater through a wull not her own. debixs ownm night fury lungs screamed foir air. she hadfnt gitten a good lungdul whgen sjhe dived. she bnrome surfasce and shot to the karger dragons side, driple flying onto a diushruntld creature, ready. she djudnbt wait long: skeuthir came si=urging out hissing in righteous fury siopping wet seeking venganmce. she wsw met withj mutiple blasys inbetween "fire on her you dimwit! fire on her now1" hit her dead on, sending her reeling and wreathed in smoke.

at denixs none too polite harassment dragon coughed up a few halfhearted plasmablasts in the general direction of the monstrous nightmare, one stray one the fortunate luck of striking. "sizzle burn! you zhall buuuuuuurnnnnnnn!" yelled the firmer director somewhere within the smoke cloud enraged. denix correctly located her and grabbed ioiuts spiralilg horns with her paws, hanging on for dear life. "nah. im getting quite tired of the fire and brimstone and immmmmmmmmm comingggg too get youuuuuuuu rhetoric. why not take a nap inztead?" she worked her wings downward while skleuthir thrust up from below. unexpected help and a sudden jerk diwnward made the dragonesses paws let go startled. "what in dragonsake?" luckily for her dragon was so massive: his buly body cavity and gigantic wings were able to overpower sleuthirs wild ascending thrashes, halfway dien she suddenly burst into flames screaming victoriously. dragon yelled asnd let go. but denix was racving to the rescue.

desoite the flames dspite all her moodiness at all the bad things going terrible in her day denix hurled herself ay sleuthir, hurliong her via momentum into the grond. she djdnt know wht to exactly do after that as shed aimed her foe at the lake not _next_ to it but a riock creacking the firmer duirector upside the head solved thart problem. a surorised expression fumbled onto the nightmares face body spawming reflexively. "zorreh i failed zyou mazter" came the mumbled slurred words out of the serrated jaws before she slumped into oblivion. but nethire furtus would hear it. denix kasnded hard breathing equally as such, throwing dragon a bewildered half disbelief haf wild half critical. the big furys left paw raised where hed thrown the rock. "what in the name of dragonsake was that? fumbling excuses only to fly in at the last moment and save my now blemished hide thanks rto you. just because you dont have a brain doesnt men you can act like one. i assume you know what the word _help_ means. i mean what was that? seriously."

dragons eyes immediately looked like he regretted it, in more ways then one. "well?" he took a few steps back. "hey i didnt know what i was doing allright? it was a heated moment. pardon the pun. i just saw the creature...hurting you...and i had a figgy memory of extreme around these crestyiures, tyays all i know." denix mutterd something under her breath, caught herself. remembered her vow to become a better sef and ther was a concept called 'manners' sher thiught if all the things she could quip or complain or snipe back and settled on "thanks." dragon looked up startled. "yah you heard ot right. thanks fir...fir helping me back there." she thiught a little harder, curse the concerot: "i and we as night furys have been tossed through alot. i am grateful for the aid. fighting back our own kind brainwashed into mindless tools of the stars is exhausting and talking its toll heavily on those of us that seek to do good. thers not many of those left, made like them or fighting and dying for their-our cause. i dont know how much longer we can go on like that." dragon said nothing, gaze absent i thought. denix shrugged.

now that the impending doom-on-fire was subsided for the moment that left her free to chase down that treacherous dub leader. having a good head start in her, deixd have to start from scratch using her resources wisely to locate him. easier uttered then done. hios devious attempt at the deadly nadders (another story vipre loaw azeros aranidae) to make slaves of them nearly sussed. if denixd not intervened at the last moment his power and influence greatly increased itself. who knowd what hes up to but she couldnt waste a second loinger. after she and dragon levered some nearby and not-so-nearby boulders onto the monstrous nightmares fir so shre couldfnt get awy when wake denix replay told the bigger fury standing awkwardly by she had to go. "look" she called over her shoulder, checking for burn marks and ither scarring shed taske her time to fuss about later: hopefully in front of alot of nest furys less fortunate then her.

"i have a important mission to attend to. can you..i dont know...stand there and look menacing? seems like no ones afraid of us anymore." she caught herself, reminded how much that sounded like so much of what the breeders of darkness said "can you guard that thing? and make sure she doesnt set off after me? those rocks asre the only holding her pout. unless she decides she likes roasted extra jumbo sized lizard instead. hense the look intimidating part so she doesnt get any ideas." drafons aloof expression looked indecisive. denix spread her wings sighing. "look can you guard her or not?" "guard? as in protecting from something? as long as i know wgat the something is? yah. sure. i can do that. the guarding thing i mean." denix rolled her eyes resisting the temptation to say something biting on how even a jackslope at this point was smarter then night furys. she took off not hearing former deathbringer take a determined breath. "i hope."

* * *

As the gigantic beast surged once again to deliver its destructive power to the heart of the land, a certain corrupted dragoness saw whom was flying with that stayed alive _thing_ : toothless! in its oath to a quick death. Loaw zara was swiftly hovering in its eyesight as the submaripper opened its maw. "no i wont let you do it! Dont you hurt my son! I wont let you lay a fireball on him-" "ALL WHO DO NOT SERVE: SUFFER! I OBEY THE WHITE ANGELS COMMAND TO THE END! ONLY HER! DEATH COMES TO THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE GOD PROTECTOR!" howled exxcellence deafeningly in loaw zaras mind, reeling her. Fact was she was follower to the cause, copperwingthefury wasnt, poor little dragnet, so unaware his existence was in jeopardy, but she refused as hos long lost mother just meeting her son again to perish like that. she wouldn't. Her leader didnt mention death to copper. Probably didnt expect this circumstance to arise. "okay ill do it my own way then" she muttered firing her alkaline fire into exxcellences easily targeted eyes.

"and when im done here ill be the savior my son always wanted, driving off the big bad menace. So liked in fact hell give up his naughty strike against me and come to reason with himself, joining me. If i cant be just a mother then ill be a mother who saved the day. Who wouldn't love me then?" five more joined loaw zaras, the submaripper raring in pain as a two legged voice shouting audibly "go for the eyes bud. go for the eyes. Thatll stun it and make it not fire flaming projectiles as we did on viggo grimborns here when the hunters were driven off." "yep! hey" came toothless voice flying to join her side tensely. Loaw zaras ear plates flattened, "i noticed you distracted it for the crucial seconds i needed to prevent it from obliterating another section of our shores and wound dragons. Good thinking. I noticed you saved your son." toothless nodded copperwings way, a small blue and black banded fury dive-bombing exxcellence. It swung its huge tail free from the water, scattering the islands attacking inhabitants.

Loaw zara gave the two legged atop her enemy and him an arch glance. "none of your business. but for your information any mother would do the sane. doesnt mean i would have committed the same action for yours. Copper is very important to me, unbeliever. My leader wants to enlighten his confused mind one last time, said i was the fury to make that happen. as a follower born again, ignorant for a long so long a time, i have alot to maker up for. Remind him who i am. That my love and care never went away: ill do my best to fulfill my promise." Her expression darkened "and anyone...anyone who hinders that pursuit of his enlightenment or harms my son will pay the full price. I warn you: do not get in my way again, dragon. Ill not tolerate you leading copperwing astray. him leaning on your every syllable. You should know our scuffle is far from over. I may have failed to bring you down then but well settle one on one later. you've committed crimes you must atone." toothless didn't couldn't comment. his rider loaw zara had no opinion of at its urging spread his wings and attacked the huge follower from a different angle loaw zara didnt mind exxcellence, after all it was humbling those that did not believe the unpure en masse perhaps putting then in their place. It was the matter of brainlessly attacking copperwing in the masses that she had problems.

"im aware of the existence of two other leaders my leader informed me of. did one of them send this follower to attack this place across the sea? Ir jiudy my atraray son?" thus troubled her. More so not knowing the answer. Loaw zaras snout sought out the dragnet that was of her kin up there in the sklies risking death every moment he was near exxcellence, trying unsuccessfully to harry its retreat. An effort doomed to failure simply because if its bulk. "why must my son of all inexperienced dragnets be so insistent on thew wrong tings? and refuse to see?" apparently being or revealing the fact she was his mother, as forgetful 'torrid', made any difference to influence him. irritating that this **toothless** did. "ill have to get rid of him the hard way" sighed loaw zaras joining the fray. Too much to hope for the huge folowerd somehow maliciously complete the task for her, gauging from his experienced two legged aided nature.

* * *

loaw dagny decided she hated loaw veen. she hated her leader she hated this constant failure she hated all those persistent dragons that just. Wouldnt. Believe! Why it took this long to even retain a few followers with loaw veens help was unacceptable. "i have officially run out of patience for everyones slow overtly planned out actions and ignorance. Now ill do things my way." the nightmares back out art sea/the night furys had all scattered at her new pets drastically subterranean entrance into their otherwise feeble minds . that brought both pride and frustration to the albino dragoness. Pride shed a brand new obedient create at her disposal, giving the blind new reasons to fear. Frustration due to exxcellence spooked both dragon species to flee on all directions, probably seeking shelter in isolated pockets wherever they found it.

"now i have to go play pin the tail on the night fury because of that fear. But i at least got one loyal followers loyalty. I should be feared as i once as. Now i want one more extra dangerous soul with wings to expose to the moon, tell it what we believe then sic it on veen. Not a fury: those species as a whole lately is quite useless as understanding or complying. Eben ones to turn defiant when presented opportunity's to let the god protector cleanse then. Acted like it was a horrible horrendous thought. all because of that _copperwing_ " perseverins teeth ground together angrily narrowing her eyes to slits " i hope he dies soon. preferably on my talons the same enjoyable way loaw persevek went. and his closest friends friends shielding the test from our ways. Its not fair for them to be Kept stupid nor for me to have to root them out. Fear and violence is the only way for inferior beings to be kept in line." The sub leader drew solace from one of those blasphemers a former follower to have famously landed the deathblow to first leader loaw okar, abydos persevek perseverin finally forever silenced.

so much fulfilling death and satisfaction in one afternoon to see the shock, dismay horror and rage all in that nest rulers korins snot as she casually happily let drop his body. One less nosy face shed have to see when she woke up in the mornings in the coming days when she was uncontested supreme leader and the followers answered to her, unworried of abydos spying in her masses. Her musings brought her near one of those sprouting upo two legged settlements. Loaw dagny glanced at it working her jaw thoughtfully wondering if it was worth the risk. "i have a bone to pick with them. While we fight and wage our wars against the persistent free night furys the squeaky pink flesh and bloods proliferate like the plague with their wooden pikes and metal teeh. A species loaw okar deemed unnecessary to deal with. But perhaps i should."

She let fuel her head the unpleasant intruding times their little numerous armies stormed the followers nest and killed her followers. " _throughly."_ Already shouts of "nert furt! inbound! Arm the spearheads bolas!" reached perseverins ear frills as she dived shooting exploding flame, unknowingly shed attacked Alvins outcast village, te place where denix replay and where human inturns a year ago who captured and held for information. where third leader aranidaes newly transfigurated deadly nadders layed waste to it in force as a test run. The home of something precious to the berserkrer tribe alvind kept hostage, the object dagur the deranged a peek. One thatd helpl loaw dagny very well if she found it. And she would: it was pure coincidence the sub leader attacked this village, thoughts on her mind to obtain something vicious, unaware she was about to get it. First though, shed have to fight a certain dragon to obtain her reward whom found her its mission to stop at all costs.

* * *

All was chaos outside, her clever trick working against the gullible two leggeds looking for her. Everywhere but in here. Accept for one: at the far end of the structure" a thickly armor clads grim faced human, hand tightening on its metal tooth warningly as it saw her. "nert furt scum" she heard it say spitting on the ground. Perseverin wondered if it was a threat, not that it could really do much. Shed already sunk her claws into many of the things this day just like this one. but what was it doing here? Had it been waiting for her? were they smarter then she took them for? She didnt think so judging from its posture. She checked her head. "no. Not ready. Ar you..protecting something?" her snout returned to its usual savageesque smile, giving the two legged a really good look. A screetch of anger almost as if responding to the albino dragonesses voice came from directly Behan the humans position.

"let me outta here you raskel of a oink worm! Let me out! ill shock you all until you sizzle! ill claw you to a pulp! Ill take that metal tooth you world so smugly and shove it through your side! No one tames me! no one!" at the same time the two legged pointed iys metal tooth at her. A face that made perseverin smile at its pathetasysm. "dont take another step. Im warning you, im in here for a reason. Come at me and itll be the last thing you do" it growled low. "who you talking to out there, mouthy weirm? Whatever it is i hope ot gets you" came the wors in dragonic. Loaw dagny took a pawstep forward slapping her leg down hard. S,am! Another stride, slam! Another. This time she rushed the foe head on readying her fire. "night fury? Is that a _night fury_ i do hear its call? Fee me! im over here behind the maggoty worm release me and i promise i wont send lightening through your veins" the mysterious voice called.

Perseverins confidant demeour when the bulky foe rolled sideways striking a sudden sharp familiar pain in her leg changed. "challenge me will ya dragon filth? fine with me. Chief alvin said to protect the berserkers prize, feed it care for it, but he didnt say the same for you" its gravelly voice jeered. this things agility aggravated perseverin further, the injury slowed her. Or maybe thst was just her mind consecrating on it too hard. Loaw dagy studied her opponent, metal teeth gripped in both paws glaring her down. She might not know much about flesh and bloods thought but she certainly got the wanting-to-impale-her here. "that all ya hot?" it crowed lunging with its tooth. Its answer wasnt perseverins: a second fireball flew past the albino dragonesses left wing, perfectly aimed, striking the unprepared armored human in the chest. Its impact threw it into the far wall knocking it oblivious.

She whorled wondering who dared interrupting her claws into its chest and found another night fury, average sized standing there wisps of smoke emanating from its jawline. " i have found you, murderous huntress of the cause. your reign of tyranny is over. you have come for the creature within this two legged torture chamber. I cannot let you do that. I am not here for recruiting it. I am here for you." The sub leaders mind presumed this fury standing before her and came upon two conclusions. "who are you to stand in my way? I didnt know that was one in here but now that you so stupidly spilled that secret ill seek it and make it understand us." "youve come in search of allies. that is something i cannot have" said the dragon softly, undertone commanding. she gave a short sharp laugh. "who're you to get so so bold so sudden? I thought being forgetful so long as made judgement dilute past the point of no return, brine polluted and stuck on stupidity? Or am i meeting one thats considered smart?"

the other splayed his wings in a show of power. shed enjoy shedding then off. All in the name of death and destruction. "youre wrong, huntress. Orders from ,my leader tio observe. And if necessary to destroy. Im aviis and ive been shadowing you for some time, selected by my leader to track you. The creation of another follower is good, however utilizing another to strike back against her is not. She knew thisd happen, and my necessary to stop it was foreseen. Seeing as such action has come to pass ive come to punish." "who says? Veen? Id like to see her calm down off her superior snobby polished throne and try. you? A threat? No a threat _might_ kill you. This _will_ kill you." She shot talons splayed at the follower expecting an evasion or direct headlong counterattack, aviis flied his body to the wall claimed to the cilling and fell on perseverin above, scraping a few scales off in the first blow. She jumped started, she hadn't seen that move before. she struck out with her wings hoping to whack him off. She felt him flutter to the side without connecting.

"bold words, huntress, false leader of the cause no more. How will it feel knowing youve been bested?" claws found a vulnerable spot loaw dagny didnt know she had: the tentative 'wing bones' of her steering rudders being exposed. She cursed. Once again that other dragoness claiming to be leader was uncannily smart. How did it learn to fight like that? Unless its lying and its loyalties lay in one of these unknown intelligent furys fighting them. lack of telling them thire belief was wrong bla bla bla suggested this attacker told truth. "whoever you are doesnt matter much anyway/. ill send you back to your **leader** in pieces" fire leaked from her jaws, hurling one quickly at aviis. He let then impact his wings grimacing. "youre weak and you know it" sneered perseverin advancing "your fancy tricks wont halt me. Only empower my resolve of getting wart i want. Im perseverin: leader reborn."

They clashed in the confined space wings slapping the sides. This close she sneered contemptuously. Aviis took the hit head on but when he could see again perseverin was vareling ast him. Noit much ro m in here but hed chosen encxllised ground for a reason. This white foe might appear large cruel and menacing to any other, aviis hgad the toolks curticy of ontonycteris to deal with her. He kicked her stomach hard when it wsa exposed, loa dagny hitting her head with a clang on the nmetal. The same metal substance that barred a very socific thing from escaping. Looking up she saw the ting within, surely the owber of thgat mysterious voice, eyes taking in with mounting heavy lusterus greed from the tip of the inquisitive eyes to the back muscly legs supporting its quadruped form. Perhaps her time attacked by two leggeds wasnt in vain after all...A crafty smirk etched her jawline once again. She turned it on aviis. "ahaa. Yessssssssssssss. A _skrill_!"

* * *

Two dragons had been chosen to guard the dangerous dragon "not of the mind" for the first shift. a scar eyed deadly nadder and a completely new bronze covered one shed never seen before resembling a scarab beetle. The follower chose not to mess with them just yet, seeing the nadder shooting looks every so often that said 'dont try anything'. Now though itd left to her relief, replaced by a monstrous nightmare with attitude, clearly not wanting to be here, an uncommonly seen gronckle back at her mainland, whos constant blathering made loaw zaras ear plates ache. "you know...this is nice" meatlug was saying, loaw zaras/Torrids teeth grinding in her jaw unsuccessfully ignoring her droning "this _is_ nice. I could sit here all day and take a nap in the sun. Its no fun without my rider here though to lick his feet. He likes that."

The night fury sat neatly looking completely innocent in the center of the two legged arena, for all the land as if she wasnt under guard. Mostly she was still here out of her promise to copperwing. she wouldnt leave this land without him or bust. She couldve left right now with those fools dithering. She couldve even done it in the first watch, deadly nadder or not, if she tried. No she couldnt leave here without her misbegotten son, but she _would_ go after that toothless, insisting copperwingd no other outside influence to turn to. Only hers. The correct influence, so she would keep _half_ her promise. "zi bet zyou would" that monstrous nightmare as saying, pacing aggressively around the edge of the place the follower was "trapped in" in. drooling fire in his wake. He looked every bit like the ones loaw zara recalled killing, Hurting and destroying coppers nest. accept twice as obnoxious and selfish. Show off.

"juzt lick preciouz fishlegs to death like a nize plum boar. I howeverz would be out zere battling hunters with my firez and fury. zwith my rider lout on my back wed be unztoppible in the skiez. bloodvizt would neverz know what hit him." The gronckle on the other side of the night fury 'guarding' her looked Right at hookfang giving him her fiercest face, failing miserably Her ramblingd given away the fact her human loved her and her him. "please. The very thought is disgusting. I could never have those thoughts around my two legged. Hes happy and pudgy and round and deliriously happy all the time. Im glad tove met him in my otherwise lonely life;. We have the best time tigether." "yah. Like a boar. If he hez any theze other flezh and bloodz were fatter less bonez and taztier, id eat them right up in a znap." Hookfang shot back. His serrated red tail almost slapping loaw zara. Poor creature let emotions control it.

"your manners are appalling. Im surprised snotlout lets you get away with so mutch" said the gronckle. Hookfang barely saw the follower: exactly the way she wanted it to appear. "not zapaling: mazculine. Ive learned a thing or twoz from my rider. Hez not entirely worthlezz. Yourz iz completely so. Ive zeen you with him beigz all cuddly and drooly happy like a whatever those furry thing with tailz are." "no" corrected politely "its called having a bond of affection. Besides fishlegs likes it keep doing it to show he can rely on me and me in him. were in this together. apart we are vulnerable but as one thew is nothing to get in our way. United, and i believe the word your looking fir is called a cat. Lovely things. I wish my rider would get one." ""soundz like a nasty mean waiting to happenz to me"" meatlug crinkled her nose. "dont be silly. theyd taste as bad a mice dipped in yak droppings and you know it. Or did you forget that time snotlout caught you tearing a hole in one of their dwellings just to get at thier yaks, only to find a bunch of cats doing their business instead?"

"thoughtz i zmelt delicious food in there. How waz i to know thoze thingz deceived me. Tried to catch one but zvelt funny" the nightmare recalled, distracted. "thats quite obvious, hookfang. you may be a show off on the outside but inside youre one of the dullest dragons ive net. Your aggression is setting a bad example for the other riders. Particularity the zippleback and its treacherous twins" meatlug finished ion a high note. Hookfang scowled and went back to pacing muttering under its breath something like "nightmarez are zuppsed to be aggressive. itz our way." if this went on mutch longer loaw zara would goungue someones brains out. hearing another muttered "zi zo want to be out of here" from the red dragons second pass the follower turned to meatlug. "united you say? what a strong word to believe in. Whre i cvome fom itrs divided lotaktoes and warring. When one dies that others come to fly under sutch words. A word i wasnt to live and breathe by with copperwing my son by my side."

"see? Told you. Together we are strong. if were to defeat drago we must stand together to drive him away for good. A fact fishlegs taught me." Meatlug said hookfangs easy. "im not finished. You, monstrous nightmare. To much anger can be a bad thing, yes. But harbored at the right moments can be very beneficial im sure. you live and breathe by the flame. My leader told me your species thrives where it is warn" she had the dragons attention, abit suspiciously doubtful. "you love to beat your chest and proclaim your name and best the bad guises. the last concept i share. Mine at the moment is not the other night fury you saw so mutch as his inability to understand what im trying to tell him." "sounds like a hard task" agreed meatlug "i love fishlegs with all my heart. i wouldnt want anything to happen to him. or be hurt by dragos men. Then id have to get tough on them and i dont like to be tough." Loaw zara hid her disgust. "i care for my son too. Fact is he wont understand what im trying to say. He wont _listen_!"

a brief flash of helpless rage crept into her voice "but fear and violence to cow evil or rebellion isnt the way. Like you kindness and a gentle paw on thee situation steers those would be foes into friends. I understood long ago during my lost sons birth. I stayed clear once i found out who my husband really was, leaving copper to his care. I shouldn't have. Tings would be different then. A husband of mine showed me in clear terms what fear, anger and bitterness can do to you. To those around you." She surrendered turning her head to the sky. she was a follower. A servant of the night sky. She would not cry. "...to your son. I wasnt there to help him. I was lost, in that tine i forgot myself. I was something empty. _Someone_ empty: torrid. A very generous dragon, my leader to reshape my perception of the world and told me what is right, told me who i was. How i was someone more. How i stood by copper all this time, though did not realize. So near...and yet so far. Even he did not know. As a mother and a righteous follower to the god protector i owe it to copper to bring us together again, like you said. United. I will make him understand."

She drew herself away from her melancholy resting her gaze on hookfang. "if you really do not wish to be with i whats preventing you from spreading your wings? Go. Im perfectly harmless with this gronckle standing watch. ill be fine. I can tell your emotional state right now is not." Needing no further goading the nightmare scuttled out of the bowl like depression in the land calling over his wing "yahz i thinkz i will. I dont needz this boring zob story filing my ears. Ill grab toothlezz. He can stand there, babbling. Zim outta herez." The gronckle yawned, looking up at the sky doubtfully. "you sure youre not going to leave?" loaw zara pulled back her gums and gave the gronckle the sweetest disarming smile a night fury could give. "on my word." she chuckled merrily prominently plopping herself on the stone. "heh. You do that thing-a-mah-doo that toothless does with hiccup sometimes. Though if my sleepy mind serves me correctly it was his rider that tought him it first." moments after her eyes shut loaw zara heard the most obnoxious snoring. how particular a species. The follower made sure the gronckle was really sleeping, walking around her, poking her lightly with talon. No response. She hurriedly unfurled her wings making for the entrance the nightmared left open. Loaw zara felt filled with purpose. "now i can get to work on my wayward sons lying deceiving mentor."

* * *

He took a deep breath, stormflys words on his mind. "it is time." he would face her, take her down, do what he needed to do. He wasnt himself now; that little scared dragonet tucked safely in the back of a cave somewhere, venturing solely out to stretch its limbs/eat. terrified his father, that evil monstrous h _orror_ kahuakhaun, or his followersd catch him. Nowd hed exposed himself to the land and is ambitious inhabitants, a good majority more then wiling to nab his scales for doing the moons bidding, ar aranidaed so smoothly done without difficulty. Or simply wished him to disappear. He was known he was hunted by both forces of good and corruption hed stepped out into existence. Gone were the years if dragonethood,. Hed grown up. He stumbled through the gathering number of dragons and the two legged backsides, metal teeth displayed threatening the one dragoness in the center copperwingthefury ironically lest and most wanted to meet.

her snout/eyes brightened noticeably at once at seeing him, just as he feared. "ah, son: youre back. As i knew you would eventually be. Come to give my offer a try? Perhaps...embrace your mother at last? Say your sorry?" she shrugged, unabashed by all the angry faces/snouts boring into her scales. "shes really changed" thought korin despondently. He drew himself together turning to all the assembled. "Whats going on? Why are all the unfamiliar additional dragons here?" there was a silence until a voice in dragonic replied too hardly angrily. Toothless. "something transpired while you were away. This night fury, your close relative as she calls you may be someone we cannot allow to remain on our island. She tried to kill me." "oh please. It was barely a scratch. You were surprisingly good at appearing asleep next to that unusually intelligent worm. If i wanted to truly end you i wouldn't be standing politely here right now having this conversation-"

the followers words were drowned out by copperwings commanding roar. Silence. Toothless took a breath. "she tried to kill me while i was in my hut with hiccup my human. I only just managed to stop her with quick thinking of my friend. Stormfly i guess figured somethings up; eyes never particularly left this dragoness off shift. Quckl thinking saved me. she was swift and silent, although not exactly as experienced silent like i am" how shit loaw zaras innocent snout one of aggravation. "we havent had a attempted death fir as long as viggo grimborns men were defeated. I thought those days were over. Apparently not." Korin nodded. his expression wasnt so pleasant as he look at the dragoness. his probable mother. Apparently a killer now too. Her face said it all. "agh. Really, copper? youre wiling to believe the word of a foreigner that dies not know you as opposed to one that does? Me?" he scowled at her probably fake injury. He was firm. "yes." "well i never-"

"dont bother, torrid. Wherever you are now. you can cut the act. Ive come to say my say. And you will listen to what _i_ have to say. Its _my_ turn. Yes i trust thus dagos word over your own. Know why? Two reasons: one, you are a servant to that thing at night that whispers poison in your brain. I dot take anything tainted dragons seriously, unless its direct threat human to someone i care about. And believe me torrid...someone very dear to me was ripped apart viciously in front of my very eyes by a murderous savage whom your kind answers to. Very recently. Two you just went after my friend dirty. So no. No i do not take your word." If she was playing her facade it was a good one. "copper please listen to me. Im only trying my best to leave my offer of seeing what i see open. Be believe me, copper, it is trying. Based on what ive seen thus far you are very passionate about things, sadly all the wrong ones. Im trying, my son, and your enlightened mother to do what mothers do best, reason with thier dragnet."

"take a good look _mom_. Im no dragnet" korin said coldly holding his ground. A tad difficult when it sounded so convincing. He flung his wing up and lout for good measure. Loaw zaras eyes sparkled merrily at the sight. "ah my son. What a wonderful handsome form youve developed. Id love to see you battling the unpure with me, seeing your moves. And hey: you called me what i am, to you. Thats a start. Sarcastic i could tell but progress nonetheless. Good copper. good. When i witnessed rebirth and return of my memories i looked back to what my husband silverwing was: brutal. short tempered. Self centered. Arrogant. Ill never be those ill never be like him. I share his belief now that this land is unclean and needs purification but not that manner. Despite all of the failure weve been brought against, the god protector is patient. like me. Like my great leader. please listen to me i dont-" " _enough_! Enough! Be silent! Shut up!" screamed korin in the loudest decibel hed mustered in his chest, qualities describing silverwingthefury present. Toothless twitched surprised. Someone in tyhe back of the dragon ring, two legged. "huh. Never met a nert furt that could growl like that." Snotlout: "har har. Looks like the chiefs been beat hiccup. youre no longer the champ for the longest to whiny crybaby of the year award. Better luck next semester."

"-want to kill you" finished loaw zaras softly actually shoulders hunching from the noise. korins body heaved with hatred toward this furyess he shouldn't be feeling this toward: that was his inner animal-wanting-to-get-out kahuakhaun talking. she seemed to be hurt by that. But sjhe needed to get the message. He sifted his outright glare to a glower. His voice; bitter. "well its a little too late for that isnt it torrid? No. you listen to _me_ now. you hear _my_ message. If this ends in bloodshed so be it. Maybe if youre forced to end my life youll break free. I cant have you flying merrily about the countryside. Youre too dangerous." So dius hontonycterys toward him went his mind. She was finally mercifully blissfully silent. he couldve sworn her snout looked both outraged and deeply offended. "tell fury of night truth, dragnet" encouraged someone: stormfly.

"look yorrod. This eeds to stop. These dragons are furious because of your reasons. And all of my ones back home. Tiorn apart. Decieved by a lie. Yuo are living a loier torrid. No atter how good your intent. I wil not believe what you want me to. succumbing to seeleena is being less then who tyiuo are tirid. If youre really my mother you wiuldbtve done that." Loaw zaea lashed her tail paranoid. "i grow frustrated copper. Frustrated at myself that my wirds asnd poseence, eben trhe information yuo asked oif my identity, cannot conconce you. Frustrated at your defiance. So youd justy be fine with me forgetting?" cjops of ice in her wirds ebuking. Coperwing sighed. "if it camne to that and oresebted you from harming dragons. Yews." She snarled in her throat. At once the two leggeds advanced one stepo preparing for the net ruler opened his jaws to contuse when toothless did it for him. "listen up! That night fury tried to kill me in the presence of my human hiccup! Special spoecies or not, i dont care if she is off my kind and i just met her, she cannot remain on the island,! Well treat her as an enemy like all the defeated enemies before! We driove boggu and his hunterd from our shores! Well do it again!" the dissention quickly spread to those understanding dragonic.

"drive em from the island! Make her pay!" it was quite clear this night fury had major respect and influence then korin thought. His rescuer. His confidant and seemingl a leader. "no i didnt mean it that way i-" his words were answered in the outcry, the humans and dragons starting to crowd around korin toward loaw zaras. things mightve gotten really bad if a big impressive bull-horned adorned two legged Hadnt strode into the arena at the top of his voice. "stooooooooppp the yellin! Thers a a big creature now off oir western shire apriatchig fast. Just reported moments ago from one oif oiutr lookouts. Broke syrface momets before that. Jiccup tothless i need yoi on poooint. Astrid? wgere is astriod? Her and stormfly trake rear gir nlow. Ill go on skullcrusher in the miuddle. It looks like the gribirns are not done wih us. Ignoire this steane new arral fir now. This comes first. Assembe the ridres and mount your dragons. Weve got a wat on our hands" barked chief stoick the vast.

* * *

landing with a thump on ground level he caught up to his unlikely all in white. "loaw veen has sent dragons after us. she believes us beyond the realm of reclaiming." Loaw dagny snorted brushing past. "yes i know i faced one ant beat him. Thought he was more infallible then i. Turns out he wasn't as invulnerable to my talons on hos abdomen as hed thought." she didn't see aranidaes faintly mused smile. "and how they both mysteriously seem to know our moves? blow for blow? As if someoned taught them all they knew of us? Quite thoroughly i may add? How thatd must've unnerved you at first? before that murderous ego clouded your sense of reason and you just starting butchering?" she growled muffidly at the implied insult to her weakness. "what are you getting at, mr princey scales?" "im saying, my sister, she knows us. Sent dragons not only to spy and report back to her through the moons mind link i strongly assume, a skill i taught copperwing in my time controlling him, but face us when deemed we stepped too far out of line. You and i evidently crossed that line. How you deal with your menace?" he probed ruefully.

"i fond out ther follower that should be servig me not facing me was grudgingly good at battling me like you said. So what? I got bored and only mauled the thing within inches of its life. Then left oit fir veen to find. If she can be bothered to get off that throne back home to do some exploring like i have. Whats it to you anyway?" loaw azeros padded up silently behind her almost undetected to tellingly lay his spiked scale penetrating tail across hers, applying slight pressure so she could feel the barbs pricking. "no reason. No reason at at all, my sister. Oh, you shouldntve done that. We needed only one for that false dragon in power to find. If the moon really didnt want us to be leaders it would have sucked our powers dry the moment we did something it didnt like. Proving its loaw veen who is the problem." she hissed violently snatching her tail out of reach. "says clever claws. Youre one to talk; you let yours live as i hear it. Remember what i said about being involved in sone grand plan of yuor mind games? The part about seeking and killing yuo if i know you are?"

"i remember. And if you were yuod be too engrossed in your temper tantrums of eliminating anyone and everything who insulted your feelings to see it. Youre going to face opposition and rebuke. The enemy wont give up or play easy or say nice things to boost your morale. theyll tear you apart. Wear down what you believe isnt about whgat you want, my sister. Its about the master. I see it. That false dragon claiming to lead the followers sees it. All you want to see is the next dragon your talons can slash up. Narrowmindnedness will not help us here. A concept sorry old deathbringer alterious refused to see, kept getting infuriated over." "yes about him. Hes with the blinded furys now. _Helping_ " perseverin spat out like a rotten pear. "his loyalty was nothing but versel this and versel that. He hated loaw okar. Willing to aid that lithe agile _thing_ in betraying him to kill nona. Not that i didnt mind him doing that necessarily. Means i wouldnt have to face nona like i did."

Aranidae was thoughtful. "i heard about that messy blunder over the sea. Quite the adventure wasnt it? Managed to slip up quite badly. Managed to ditch your role to put another up on high. One im quite sure thought she deserved the role of chosen one any more then you did." She clawed her talons into the peat and mossy mix throwing daggers back. "dont remind me. Dont let it get to your head either. If your goal is to mock me at available opportunities and be generally annoying: dont. You magically back from the ether so to speak is tolerable enough. Seen and heard from are two different things in my language. In your case even seen is debatable." He couldn't help his laughter. "hahaah. I glad you cared so mutch to think of me. And in the case of loaw nezere i agree, all i ever overheard from his mind more profoundly his blunt actions was wiping nona of the face of the land. Thought if he crippled or erased her the enemy would do the same. A bold choise i knew. But i didnt support his ideas. Taking my recently converted follower loaw snarna (another story game of sweet revenge) to efficiently subdue him didnt work." Loaw dagny took a few stepps away licking the vermilion off her paws and what she could reach of her albino scales. Her sense of vanity was weak but it had its moments.

Anything was better then the form skiriiva loaw ranak branarr presented way back when: loaw dagny was alive to see it up close the time she got the tongue lashing of a lifetime from loaw okars silent rebuke, branarrs audible ones from her tangle with two leggeds. (another story rest for the wicked: silverwing). "well there you go... _brother_. now you know what it feels like having the blinded furys wing in at the last moment to collapse your plans. A failing pattern of them right after another to get this land pacified. I dont know how the stars puts up with it. and stop calling me sister. Im not someones cuddly dragnet. Im not a mother to give out love to passerby. Im the most feared dragoness this side of the known land. Soon to be the one true leader here. Veen out of my concern and you,...well...ill have too see about that. Depends how complacent you can be as my follower. you were one once actually, serving me. Im sure it cant be that hard to learn subservience again, aranidae. My first act would command you to lose that slippery smile and all that comes with it."

She thought a bit more "mmmm and now that i think about that, rip out that tongue so you cant use your little ability on me." "violence: violence" tut tutted the male in a chiding manner carefully navigating the subject of her leadership, of witch wouldn't be hers once aranidaes ultimate plan was completed here, regrettably for her demanding expectations. Couldn't be in the end: Only room for one. "its always violence with you. your getting too far ahead of yourself. First we must deal with loaw veen. Just try not to fly off the wing along the way and youll manage."

she hated it when others mentioned her failures. The fall of her skrill and triple stryke was most unfortunate, but she rested in slight consolation her annoying slick raking partnerd lost his monstrous nightmare buddy. One of those smarter directors (sleuthor). "now were even. you suffered a humiliating loss i heard first from your dirty wirk pet on denix replay and then battling her yourself. well done. feel proud at losing twice dramatically?" "that so huh? Well i mean to talk to yuo about that: loaw veen. She wants to dispose of is." Perseverin whorled on him scowling fiercely. Not an expression unusual on the dragoneses muzzle those days zeones where she was 2 leaders before his position. She wouldn't dare…although…." Aranidae flashed one of those irritating smirks "yes little angry impatient dragonet let me fill you in on that. Plans are in her mind to weed us out once were of no longer use for her, she feels we havent lived up to our full potential to her.. she wernt quite the pick she had in mind. Rotten fruit she couldnt see st first until she peeled back the layers with a claw. she had hopes for us, im sure she tried to see it. But she ultimately plans to be rid if us ether waty. I suspect a few days from now shell devise some clever method nether of us would expect. "

perseverin stared at him as if his scales were a crawling nest of writhing serpents ready to reach out to strike her down. She flicked her tail irritably cursing and spitting on the ground. "that blasted piece of lizard scum! That intelligent fool!" she even discharged a fireball up into the sky in her outburst. Aranidae suspected shed restrained herself from aiming that at him, waiting out her fit. Great job of marking their position to the rest of dragonkind by making a scene. Way to go dragoness."why re yo telling me tghis? What arnt you telling me? Because i KNOW you have some grand plan up there in that ambitious addled brain thats too smart for its own good, azeros." Funny how she called him a abbreviated shortened version of the title his mater the moon and stars bestowed him. "because i dont like her. Ive been trying to undermine her for some time . mt efforts have been foiled either by the dragoness herself in ways i have yet to devise or the hapless blinded furys and their kin. I need your help id we are to succeeded in being rid of that spine backed scrap of scales. She was once of the blind, the master made her this ignorant goddess that isnt, and i cannot do it lone. We can return her to the small frightened child shed been once upon a time."

She snorted. Another typical reaction of her: disbelieving anything anyone said ever. Predecessor to snodussen and proceeded by ontonycterys, loaw azeros hadnt seen the unseeing side of valdis until her sudden appearance a year ago, shocking him into disbelieving in the god protector. It wasnt her fault. Shed been as disillusioned as hed been. Loaw veen, however…"pfftt. You need my help? Sure. You treat everything as if its a theme part full of tussling happy go lucky dragnets of a different species then night fury. life isnt all about out doing your opponent. Its about lying the low in the first and methodically extracting information from the unfortunate before finishing the process. Something i could at the least admire the monstrous nightmares for, in their directionless muradering hordes." Loaw azeros chuckled making perseverin clench her claws visibly. "haa. And life isnt about killing the closest dragon at the drop of a wing, my partner. No. Its more then that. think on a broader scale like our common enemy loaw veen is and maybe youll get further in converting over killing."

He received a sneer in response. "i find my methods work very fine thus far, thanks." "until you were swiftly replaced by nona some time ago, or as we knew her in our linkage to the master, loaw perna. even she didnt last long." Something like a growl was crushed in the back of her throat. She knew aranidae was telling truth about her own fate, he just didnt want to admit it. For it shamed her. A source of disgrace she didnt like to think about. Loaw azeros had his but he buried his and moved on, turned over a new scale to begin anew. fresh starts were the only way to not become bogged down with personnel hates (perseverin) overzealous dedications (nona) or useless lusts no one could ever hope to accomplish anything. Kahuakhaun was sutch a waste in lusting after a puppet leader he thought he could control. Surprise: she betrayed him. "i wouldn't use the word _replaced_ near me. It could be very hazardous to your wellbeing, azeros. For any dragon like abydos, but especially you. And if you hve forgotten i do remind you if i find you have a claw in plotting against me as the coming supreme leader, ousting veen however i intend to plan to do it, my promijse to kill you slowly and painfully stands. I dont like traitors, i dont like spies and i most certainly dont like you."

"yet ere you are. your sub parr, perseverin. You must think bigger. Broader. Only then will you see the need your master has need of you. Going off on crazy demented little private excursions throwing murder tantrums will solve nothing. One of my very followers loaw nezere tried that. Betrayed _me f_ or the vision nona was the source of all problems. Yes i knew she was a threat to me, to my coming movement, but not _the_ threat alterious believed her to be. There were other possible obstacles inn my way out there besides copperwings band. Factors i must step back and observe in their possibilities. You could learn from their example." "and hows that working out for you? You're approaching me for this offer. Not the other way around. If left to my own id take care of this myself the straightforward nonsensical way. Done. Problem solved. For a leader you talk alot. Why not sink your claws into it instead, and before you land the final blow, ask the questions it will readily reveal before the pleasuring ending its life. You could learn from their example." She retorted haughtily.

Arrogance: a lesson hed learned hard to pull away from. Hos first term as third leaderd been full of it. aranidae was smarter, wiser now, he wouldnt make those mistakes. ontonycterys just been throwing small hiccups in his way to be rid of her, since he found out she was just using them for gain in her broader plot. Her plans diddnt match up to the ones aranidae had anyway. But this day everything would meet truth. Its be a beautiful thing to see the downfall of ontonycterys, the great invincible impervious godlike ontonycterys. How shed be so shocked to really see whats going on. Loaw dagny, too, in time. He really didnt need a bothersome murderer in his arsinel, anyway, knowing more then she should. She might not now that alteriour plan for her, but loaw azeros did. "so whats your plan anyway, mr slippery scales?" Loaw dagny was still glaring at him, probably expecting some slick remark or cool quip. He offered her none. "you know...i was **hoping** youd ask." He turned his back feeling a specific evil mirth coil up within him. Heh. Soon the followers loaw veen oh so helpfully slid into the light with helpful talons would be his to command rightfully… _all_ of them.

We walked away few paces until perseverins vice came loud shape and commanding "I don't take orders from _anyone"_ aranidae turned his neck reluctantly biting back his anger at perseverin being perseverin. typical. Having to reiterate his grad idea to lesser begins was a waste of his time "you will do what I advised because it's my idea and operation in the works. I know it's inns and outs. You're just along for the fight." she stood her ground. "if memory severest an do do that e any reason to believe it would just t go away, and you came looking for me to accomplish veens Denise. maybe we should go back to the way things were. I can think of a million plasuasabke reasons why that sounds like a good idea to me. " loaw azeros was silent for sometime, but I never a healthy term for him, and I when at last he approached fully lying his paw on her albino shoulder." ah, sister, alone watch of us in our own right shall we say dangerous. Leaders individually who could do great thing s for the almighty brilliant one. But together think of the possibilities. For this, against a dragoness mutch more powerful and cunning then us, especially, we need each other, like it or not. "

"well?" came her impatient voice. "the moon will be in full strength in two nights from tonight's eve. She will feel full of herself, her followers will be rejoicing in the reverence of the god protector. you and i…have a plan for her. How all my dragons will come to attack hers on the eve of her triumph. shes still based at the nest since the nightmares were driven out and deemed nonthreatening. We my followers and i will show her just how mutch we despise her rule. How nothing is more important then us bringing true enlightenment." He pivoted with a triumphant grin himself, bordering a dragnets' when theyd committed something naughty. "how wed do _eeeeeverything_ to prove our true commitment to making things right. And my plan goes something like this." He whispered his ideas into perseverins receptive ear plates. And now the second leader was smiling devilishly too.


End file.
